"Wow! I've got a drum kit!" Egremont Drummer Andrew Bates well remembers the thrill he felt when at the age of 7 he graduated to a fairly basic Junior CB from biscuit tins, pots and pans, on which primitive instruments he had already convinced his family that he had rhythm. From these beginnings he has progressed to develop the band Feed Me, with Jonathan Cuthel, vocals, Kiefer McCrickard, guitar, Jamie Francis, guitar, Phil Lowery, bass. Performing a mixture of Blues/Funk/Rock covers as well as their own material, the band reached the Final of the Maryport Battle of the Bands competition, held at the Grasslot Rugby Club, Maryport on 27th February. This was the climax of four weeks of competition in which fifteen bands joined battle. They were runners up to the eventual winners, Nine Lives, and have been rewarded with two good gigs to play on the trail at the eleventh Maryport Blues Festival in July. To get a flavour of their music, go to their website: www.myspace.com/feedmerightnow
Discipline is the key to Andrew's attitude to his music. He spoke warmly of the discipline he learnt from working with Colin Nichol and MT Arms, listening and responding to Colin and Andy, and he is constantly learning from other bands he hears, both on the local circuit and from professionals he has heard. He likes the style of three piece band, Tantrum, and admires Mike Portnoy, of Dream Theatre, Chad Smith, of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and the peripatetic Billy Cobham. He now looks forward to a career in music, as performer and teacher, and is eyeing up courses in such centres of excellence as Brighton Institute of Modern Music and the Institute of Contemporary Music in London.